This Feeling Inside
by dancincat
Summary: Joe, Clarisse with meddling from Mia. I think I'm going to need help!
1. Chapter 1

I've never, ever, ever, ever written a Fan Fiction story before in my life so feed back would be most appreciated…hey I would even welcome constructive criticism! Thanks folks.

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She was scared, no petrified would be a better word for the turmoil that was going on inside her. Surely she was too old to have feelings like this? To have feelings like this for a man who never in a million years could fall for her!

"All we did was dance together that really is no basis for a relationship…I can't believe I just used the word relationship…the way we looked at each other though, I thought time had stood still, I could hardly breathe."

All these thoughts were running through her head and without Queen Clarisse even realizing it had spilled out of her mouth in a jumbled un-Queenly way and unbeknown to her, she had an audience.

Mia tried to back slowly away from the room without being noticed; she had never seen her like this before, her normally calm, controlled and often distant Grandmother acting as though she were a school kid again! Mia was trying so hard not to make any noise that she completely missed seeing the cabinet to her left and reversed straight into it knocking both herself and the contents of the surface clean onto the floor.

Clarisse jumped a mile in the air.

Mia didn't know where to look.

"Hi Grandma! I was just looking for you and I found you so now I'll go." She scrambled in an undignified manner to her feet collecting all of the debris of the collision from the floor as she did so.

"Are you hurt Amelia?" stammered Clarisse "I didn't know you were in the room, I'm afraid I was wool gathering, please excuse me, was there anything in particular that you required?"

The façade was back in place, Clarisse had slipped the Queen's mask on once more and had Mia not heard what had come out of her Grandma's mouth she would have believed that there was nothing wrong. She decided not to let on what she had heard; instead she would try and discover who it could be that Clarisse was thinking of.

"Now this could be fun!" ran through Mia's head as she ran from the room.

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To be continued? 


	2. Chapter 2

I'm really sorry that it's taken me so long to get another Chapter up but I'm in my first year at University so thing's are a little hectic!! Thank you so much for your amazing feedback I really appreciate it!

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"What is my problem? I need to sort this out."

Joseph was muttering to himself whilst pacing up and down in the same way his Queen had been doing less than an hour ago.

"She is Queen of Genovia and would never want anything more than friendship from me so Joseph…PULL IT TOGETHER!"

Joe swivelled round on the heels of his feet when he heard Mia leap into the room

"Hey Joe! Whatc'ya doin?"

Mia could barely contain her Cheshire cat like grin as she spoke. She had heard everything he had been saying and now that she was one hundred per cent sure that her Grandmother and Joe liked each other as more than friends she knew she had to do something about it and before they left San Francisco for Genovia for she knew that once they were back there Clarisse would be snowed under with issues concerning her country and Parliament.

"Nothing in particular Princess" Joe cleared his throat nervously trying to get his thoughts back on track. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"

Mia sauntered towards him as casually as she could

"Joe, I would really like it if me and Grandma could go on a picnic somewhere in the next few days before it's time for her to leave. It would be really nice if we could have some time together wouldn't it!"

A small smile broke out on Joe's usually dead pan face

"That sounds like a lovely idea Princess. Is this to be a surprise for the Queen?"

"It sure is! I don't want her knowing anything about it until the last possible minute!! Don't worry! I'll plan everything!! Well, apart from Security because that's your job obviously! So you just worry about looking after Grandma and everything will be fine"

Mia wanted to jump up and down for joy! The first stage of her mission was complete…now to set the ball rolling for the rest of it!!!

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Once again folks I really am going to need some feedback! If anyone has any ideas of where I can go from this then they would be welcomed gladly!!!

Thanks Cat xxx


	3. Chapter 3

I'm afraid that this Chapter isn't going to be very accurate as I am Welsh, not American and therefore have no knowledge about San Francisco and the best places to go for Picnics…even if there are any!

Clarisse was sitting behind her desk staring at her Granddaughter with her eyebrows raised. Her gaze shifted from Mia to Joseph and then back to Mia again;

"You seriously expect me to just drop all of this paper work in order to be taken to some 'unknown' destination?"

Mia stood up from where she was sitting and made her way round the desk until she was crouching next to the Queen

"Please Grandma! You can even take the paper work with you if you want but can you please just do this for me? Pretty soon you will be going back to Genovia and I'll be going to College so we won't see each other and I really have got used to seeing you every day…Please!"

Mia clasped her hands in front of her and gazed at Clarisse with her best puppy-dog eyes; the result was a lady like sigh and a surrender of the hands

"I'm really not going to win with this one am I Joseph?" the Queen asked of her Head of Security

"I'm afraid not Your Majesty and not to worry everything has been arranged by Mia with a little input from myself and Charlotte and Mia is correct you may bring the paper work with you if you wish, however I do felt hat you would have more fun if you left it behind"

Joseph said all of this with a small smile gracing his lips, he knew that the spontaneity of this little outing was killing the usually organized Queen but then again he also knew that she would do anything to spend time with the Granddaughter whose childhood she had missed out on.

Clarisse sighed once more and then began to smile

"Right let's do this and I AM taking the paperwork with me!"

Mia jumped up and gave a squeal of delight

"You won't regret this Grandma!" She yelled whilst flinging her arms around the older woman

"Let's hope not" Clarisse muttered under her breath.

Sorry this chapter is so short but I have been so busy lately! Once again reviews would be do welcome! Thanks Cat xx


	4. Chapter 4

I am really sorry about the delay with this chapter; let's call it my first experience of writers block!

"You glad you came?"

Joseph and Clarisse were sitting on the laid out picnic blanket in a very remote part of San Francisco; her back resting against a shady tree trunk with Joseph lying on one side propped up on his elbow looking at her, whilst Mia, intent on her plan working had gone for a walk around the other side of the lake with Charlotte who had joined them.

"I have to admit that I am glad! It's wonderful to get out of the consulate and spend some time with Mia…where is Mia?"

Joe didn't let his eyes leave her face

"She's taking a walk with Charlotte…how's the paper work going?" he enquired slyly

Clarisse attempted a glare through her half closed eyes

"You know fact that I haven't touched it yet and nor do I intend doing so! Something that I am most definitely going to regret tomorrow!"

"I wouldn't worry about it Clarisse you of all people deserve a rest, you've been through a tremendous amount this last year"

Clarisse looked down at her hands uncomfortably

"Yes well…" she uttered

There was a silence between the two that was more relaxed than uncomfortable; they really were at ease in each others company. Joseph let his eyes linger over her soft features before asking quietly

"Would you like this dance your majesty!"

The Queens head shot up and she looked at him in surprise

"Here? Now? But there is no music…and anyway it would be highly improper"

"No one need know Clarisse, and we can make our own music"

Joseph raised himself up and extended his arm out to the Queen of Genovia. She glanced around and when satisfied that she could see no one and no one could see them she relented and shyly raised her hand up to Joseph giving in to her instincts as a woman.

They began to dance together, (well, a soft sway more than a dance), their bodies moulding into each other perfectly. Neither of them could remember a time when they felt more at peace and nor could Mia and Charlotte as they watched the couple from the other side of the lake.

Right, I have a problem! I don't know whether to continue this or whether it is better left as it its! I would really value some input…thanks folks cat xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Boy this has taken me a long time to update and for that I'm really sorry! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story, I really appreciate the constructive comments you've given to me. I'm really sorry if there is any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes but I have no one to proof read my stories and although I read through them more often than not I miss things!

None of the characters belong to me I'm afraid; I'm just toying with them!

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Neither Joseph nor Clarisse were aware of how long they had been dancing by the lake, yet they both knew that they never wanted to stop. Clarisse was only too aware of the butterflies fluttering away within her stomach; butterflies she had never known before, they were the butterflies of Love. This was a Love that had found its base within a strong friendship and nourished until it burned away inside without either of the participants being directly aware. She let out a contented sigh.

"Clarisse? Are you happy?"

Joseph enquired pulling away slightly so that he could see her face in the dusk. His eyes traced her features, trying to memorize every detail down to the last freckle; she met his gaze head on.

"For a long time I wasn't. I mean, I had my boys of course and I love them so much but that never stopped that lonely ache inside of me. There was something missing and I didn't understand what it was."

They were still clasped together in their close embrace and Joseph was tracing circles on her delicate hand with his thumb, listening to her in a way only a man can do when the woman he loves is revealing a part of her to them; enraptured. Clarisse untangled herself from his arms and walked to the edge of the lake and wrapped her arms around her body as though protecting herself from what she was going to say; what she was going to feel.

"My marriage to Rupert, as you know, was arranged when I was just 15. My parents had it all figured out!"

She exclaimed bitterly.

"I was going to marry the heir to the Genovian throne, produce 'the heir and the spare' and live happily ever after with my Prince Charming head over heels in love with him."

Joseph walked slowly to stand next to Clarisse yet still giving her some distance, distance that he knew she needed right now.

"I did love him Joseph, I truly did…just not in the way I needed to to be happy. The piece of my heart that needed filling couldn't be filled by him, he was my best friend but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't feel with him the way I feel now!"

Clarisse had tears running silently down her face as she gazed out over the lake. Joseph reached out to her and slowly turned her to face him brushing away the traces of her tears with the pad of his thumbs.

"Why are you telling me all of this now Clarisse?"

He asked softly.

"No matter how much you don't want to hear this Joseph…I've fallen in Love with you. I tried so hard to fight it but I can't. I don't know when it happened all I now is that I was in the middle before I knew it had started and that scares me! It scares me feeling so strongly about someone who won't Love me back! I come across as being cold and unfeeling but I know that if I start to cry I won't ever stop and I can't let people see that weak side of me I just can't!"

The corner of Joseph's mouth had been inching up into a dazzling smile as she was speaking and he was now looking at her incredulously.

"Clarisse! How can you not realize that I Love you and have done ever since the first time I laid eyes on you! You're not cold and unfeeling by any stretch of the imagination…you're simply wonderful, you're a wonderful woman and I want you to know that I don't see you as my Queen but as the keeper of my heart."

Overwhelmed with emotion Clarisse lent into Joseph's touch, leaning into him for support their foreheads touching. Joseph cupped her cheek with his calloused hand as their lips touched for the first time, soft, probing kisses that spoke volumes of more to come.

When they broke apart they gazed at each other in adoration processing what had just taken place. Joseph was the first to break the silence.

"Where do we go from here?"

"I think we need to take things one step at a time with just this feeling inside to guide us."

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Done and dusted! This story is now finished and I would love feedback as this is the first story I've written so it would really help if the writing bug bites me again! Thanks for reading guys I appreciate it Cat xxx 


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